renown

1 of 2

noun

re·​nown ri-ˈnau̇n 

1

: a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored : fame

2

obsolete : report, rumor

renown

2 of 2

verb

renowned; renowning; renowns

transitive verb

: to give renown to

Synonyms of renown

Noun

• fame
• notoriety
• celebrity
• repute
• reputation

Examples of renown in a Sentence

Noun

He achieved great renown for his discoveries.

Her photographs have earned her international renown.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Related Articles Botstein led Bard College from 1975 and was known as a deft fundraiser who helped earn the small institution global renown. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Sporting black turtlenecks a la Steve Jobs, Holmes first gained renown and then infamy as the tech was unmasked as fraudulent by the Wall Street Journal and a subsequent federal investigation. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

Baldwin Lee came to photographic renown pretty late in life, mostly for his in-close-and-intense pictures of small-town Black Southerners made in the 1980s and collected in an epic monograph in 2022. — Baldwin Lee, Curbed, 10 Sep. 2026

Its innovative cutting-edge treatments, some found nowhere else, reaffirm the destination spa’s renown as one of the finest in the nation. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English renoun, from Anglo-French renum, renoun, from renomer to report, speak of, from re- + nomer to name, from Latin nominare, from nomin-, nomen name — more at name

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing renown

• of renown

Rhymes for renown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

renown

noun

re·​nown

ri-ˈnau̇n

: a state of being widely known and highly honored : fame